Australia Tightens Visa Rules for Nigerian Students Amid Record Migration

The Australian government has started enforcing tougher visa rules for Nigerian students and their foreign counterparts as the number of migrants hit a record high.

The rules will increase English language requirements for student and graduate visas, and the government will have the power to suspend education providers from recruiting international students if they repeatedly break rules.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil stated that the actions will continue to drive migration levels down while delivering on the migration strategy to fix the broken system. A new “genuine student test” will be introduced to crack down on international students primarily coming to Australia for work, while “no further stay” conditions will be used on more visitor visas.

The initiatives follow a slew of measures taken last year to end the prior government’s COVID-era concessions, including unfettered working hours for international students. Australia’s population increased by 2.5% in the year to September, and the historic migration, led by students from India, China, and the Philippines, has increased labour supply while containing wage pressures.